Studio Montclair presents “Divergent Evolution,” a special exhibit

Studio Montclair presents “Divergent Evolution,” an exhibit from March 7 to April 20, 2019 at Studio Montclair Gallery, 127 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair, NJ. An opening reception will take place on Friday, March 8 from 7 to 9pm. The exhibit, featuring artwork by diverse artists throughout the United States, includes one or more artworks from each artist that demonstrate the evolution of their creative process.

The exhibit not only demonstrates an extraordinary range of materials, styles, and subject matter, but also offers the intrigue of observing common threads and preoccupations within the works of individual artists. Says Curator Emma Wilcox about the exhibit, “As an artist and culture worker much of the dialogue I am part of revolves around where the attributes of a given artwork come from; the connection of that piece to the other works in a series an artist is creating; antecedents in prior antecedents in prior works or series; the influences of other artists. I love this kind of talk; we all do it all the time, publicly or privately. Divergent Evolution is an opportunity to share some of that talk.”

About the Juror:

Emma Wilcox is the Gallery Director at Gallery Aferro, where, with Co-Founder and Artistic Director Evonne Davis, she has designed and implemented hundreds of exhibits, public programs, educational initiatives, public art projects as well as more than two dozen publications. Wilcox is a practicing artist. She studied photography at the School of Visual Arts and was part of the 2015-2017 cohort of the Prudential Foundation Nonprofit Executive Fellows Program at the Institute for Ethical Leadership at Rutgers Business School. Ms. Wilcox lectures regularly on art and cultural engagement topics, including a 2016 TedX talk.

Participating Artists: 

Jose Arvelo, Mariette Boerstoel, Jennifer Crohn, Louis DiLauri, Anne Dushanko Dobek, Andrea Epstein, Laurie Fusco, Elizabeth Ginsberg, Alice Harrison, Paul Jervis, Rachel Laufer, Cheryl McNamara, Bud McNichol, Arthur Paxton, Bobbie Polton, Marcy Pope, Ron Powell, Matt Roberts, Danielle Stauss, Elie Porter Trubert, 

Nikki Vismara, Sue Eldridge Ward, Gail Watkins 

Listing Information for the Exhibition:

Exhibition Dates: March 7 to April 20, 2019
Gallery: Studio Montclair Gallery, 127 Bloomfield Ave, Montclair, NJ
Gallery Hours: Wednesday thru Friday 11am-3pm; Saturday 12-3pm
Opening Reception: Friday, March 8, 7-9pm
Studio Montclair Contact Info:  smi@studiomontclair.org, 862-500-1447

About Studio Montclair: Studio Montclair is a nonprofit organization of exhibiting professional artists and others interested in the visual arts. Its mission is to promote culture and education in the visual arts and encourage emerging artists. Founded in 1997, the organization includes over 450 members including artists from around the United States, as well as Europe and Asia. For more information, contact smi@studiomontclair.org, or call 862-500-1447

'Cosi fan tutte' at Light Opera of NJ !

Join us for the next production of our 24th Season!

Così fan tutte    April 12 & April 13, 2019   8 PM both nights    St Mark's Episcopal Church  140 South Finley Avenue Basking Ridge, NJ 07920     Light Opera of New Jersey continues its 24th Season of operetta and musical theatre with a production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Così fan tutte directed by Dorothy Danner with musical direction by Jason Tramm. April 12 and April 13, 2019 at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 140 South Finley Avenue, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920. Tickets at https://lightoperaofnewjersey.org/tickets/ or by calling 908-903-0700.     BUY TICKETS TODAY!

The Immigrant Opens at George Street Playhouse March 12 in New Brunswick

New Brunswick, NJ –The Immigrant—a heartwarming story inspired by the real experiences of a Russian-Jewish emigrant to the United States—will open at George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, NJ on March 12. Performances continue through April 7, making this pastoral tale perfect for spring theatregoers.

Written by Mark Harelik, The Immigrant, based on the life of his Russian-Jewish grandfather, tells the story Haskell Harelik, who arrives at the port of Galveston, Texas in 1909 seeking refuge from his homeland. With only his banana cart in tow, Haskell finds compassion and friendship from an unlikely couple, falls in love, and creates a life for his family in pursuit of the American dream.

Taking the stage under the direction of George Street Playhouse’s Director of Education Jim Jack (Trying; My Name is Asher Lev at George Street Playhouse), the show will star Benjamin Pelteson (The Mines of Sulphur at City Opera/Lincoln Center) as Haskell. He appears opposite Gretchen Hall (Broadway’s Stickfly), Lauriel Friedman Photo right- (Vanity Fair, The Dingdong, and The Winter’s Tale at The Pearl Theatre Company), and R. Ward Duffy, who has appeared at the Manhattan Theater Club and Lincoln Center.

“This is truly a beautiful play,” George Street Playhouse’s Artistic Director David Saint said. “This timeless story, in which so many of our audiences may find reflections of their own family histories, remains relevant even today.”

“I’m excited and honored to work on this play,” Director Jim Jack said. “My wife’s  family are Russian Jews who left their country at the turn of the 20th century, and my own family is from East Texas. I immediately responded to Mark Harelik’s passionate, moving story of his grandfather.”

Set against the backdrop of rural Texas, The Immigrant sheds light on a lesser known point-of-entry to the United States, utilized by a myriad of new arrivals throughout the early 1900s.

“About 500,000 Jews came into the country at that time” Jack explained. “And as we moved closer to World War II, immigration became significantly more restricted.”

But despite this historical setting, Jack remains confident this piece will resonate with modern audiences.

“This play is exceptionally timely.  The questions it raises are ones we continue to wrestle with today,” he said. “What are the values of this country, and who do they belong to?  What role do immigrants have in creating and shaping the fabric of this country?”

“This play is the true story of Haskell Harelik, a Jewish immigrant fleeing persecution in Russia, and how he builds a new life for his family in America,” he continued. “It looks at the difficult work of assimilation and is a funny, moving portrait of relationships between people radically different from each other and how compassion transforms them.”

For the 12th straight year, George Street Playhouse is offering patrons the opportunity to add live theatre to their book club experiences with The Immigrant.

Book Club packages include: a ticket to the performance, a copy of the script, a study guide, and an optional discussion with a member of the George Street Playhouse staff, either on-site before or after the show or at a regularly scheduled book club meeting. Book Club packages start at $63.

Regular tickets begin as low as $25. Audiences are encouraged to buy now to secure their seats.

The creative team will feature Jason Simms (Set Designer), Ásta Bennie Hostetter,  (Costume Designer), Christopher J. Bailey (Lighting Designer), Scott Killian and Christopher Pfeifer (Sound Design), Original Music by Scott Killian, Caite Hevner (Projection Designer), and Samantha Flint (Stage Management). Casting  by McCorkle Casting, LTD.

To find tickets or for more information, visit the George Street Playhouse website at www.GeorgeStreetPlayhouse.org, or call the box office at 732-246-7717.  

Special AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE Post-Show Discussion Sunday at Centenary Stage Company

Several speakers from NJ conservation groups will be joining the Centenary Stage Company for a special discussion following the Sunday, Feb 17 matinee performance of Heinrik Ibsen’s AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE, at the Lackland Performing Arts Center in Hackettstown. 

Joining the post-show discussion will be Sandra LaVigne, Dir. Of Water Quality at the Great Swamp Watershed Association; Captain Bill Sheehan, Executive Director of the Hackensack Riverkeeper (photo right);  Bill Leavens, Board of Directors and founding member  of the Musconetcong Watershed Assoc (photo below).

Also leading the discussion will be director Anne Occhiogrosso and actor Randal Duk Kim (portraying Dr. Tom Stockman in the production).  

AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE features a plot line that will ring true even a century after its original production – the discovery of pollution in the waters that feed the town’s new spa, upon which the town has bet it’s economic well-being;  efforts to not only ignore but to discredit scientific evidence, town leaders who place priority on business rather than public safety, and a press which is manipulated by the government to suppress vital information for the community.
An Enemy of the People was hailed recently as having “Ripped from the headlines relevance.”

AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE will run Feb 15 – Mar 3.  Tickets to the performance are  $25.00 for matinees, $27.50 Friday evenings and $29.50 for adults on Saturday evenings. Thursday evening performances are $27.50 for all seats , with a special  buy-one-get-one free rush ticket special, available at the door on the night of performance.  

NEW:  A special STUDENT RUSH ticket price of $5 is available every Friday night to any student from any educational institution.

Admission to the post-show discussion will be free.

For more information, call 908 979 0900, or visit online at www.centenarystageco.org

GHOST the Musical comes to UCPAC’s Hamilton Stage

This March, GHOST the Musical will be opening at Union County Performing Arts Center’s Hamilton Stage in Rahway,

NJ. GHOST the Musical is a timeless fantasy about the power of love. 

Longtime couple Sam and Molly are happily in love and living together in Brooklyn. One night, while walking back to their apartment, they are mugged at gunpoint, leaving Sam murdered on a dark street. Sam is trapped between worlds as a ghost and unable to leave Molly– who he quickly learns is in grave danger. With the help of a storefront psychic named Oda Mae Brown, Sam tries to communicate with Molly in the hope of protecting her. 

The show features popular songs including “With You” and the Righteous Brothers’ classic, “Unchained Melody.”

Please note: our popular Sweetheart table option is available for Saturday performances!

Performances:
 Friday, March 1 - 8:00pm
 Saturday, March 2 - 8:00pm
 Sunday, March 3 - 2:00pm
 Friday March 8 - 8:00pm
 Saturday, March 9 - 8:00pm

 Sunday, March 10 - 2:00pm

General admission tickets are available for purchase for $25 at www.ucpac.org/events. Tickets may also be purchased by
visiting the Main Stage Box Office located at 1601 Irving Street in Rahway, NJ. The Box Office can be reached via email at boxoffice@ucpac.org or by calling 732.499.8226. The Hamilton Stage is located at 360 Hamilton Street in Rahway, NJ and both locations are easily accessible to major roads and public transportation.

Auditions: Luna Stage- Open Auditions for Teen Artists for New Professional Summer Performance Conservatory

 Luna Stage is launching a new Summer Performance Conservatory for young artists, ages 11-17. Auditions will be held at Luna Stage, 555 Valley Road in West Orange, on Sunday, February 24 and Monday, February 25 from 6-8pm.  Students selected for the program will be directed by Luna's professional artistic staff in a fully-produced play in the Luna’s MainStage theatre this July.

Students who are accepted to the Conservatory will begin a focused rehearsal process of Ramón Esquivel’s bilingual Spanish-English play, coincidentally titled Luna. The process will culminate in four public performances in Luna Stage’s MainStage theatre, as well as in a week-long tour to day camps in surrounding communities. The daily curriculum will also include voice and movement training, acting, physical theatre, improvisation, and ensemble work. Familiarity with Spanish is a plus but not required.

A maximum of 15 actors will be accepted into the program, all of whom are guaranteed speaking roles with substantial featured dialogue.  Up to five additional slots are available for students interested in stagecraft, directing, technical theatre, and stage management.

Luna's auditions are welcoming, supportive, and fun. Applicants should prepare a short monologue, joke or song, and may be asked to read scenes from the script. To book an audition appointment, please email chris.kuiken@lunastage.org.

Weekday rehearsals and performances will be held July 1-26, Monday-Friday from 9am-1pm. Weekend performances will be July 19, 20, 27, and 28, 10am-12:30pm (performances at 11am).

The charge to participate in this 4-week conservatory program is $1,200. Need-based scholarships are available.

The Summer Performance Conservatory offers young artists an opportunity to enhance their individual performance potential while developing a broad base of theater experience and knowledge. They will build technique and learn about themselves as performers while developing collaborative skills and artistic confidence.

About Luna Stage

Luna Stage develops and produces vibrant plays about local and global experiences. Luna brings communities together for artistic events that spark conversations and create understanding and change. Firmly rooted in New Jersey's Valley Arts District—a crossroads of cultures—the Company celebrates the diverse voices that surround us. As producer, educator, and innovator, Luna Stage is dedicated to eliminating barriers to participation and nurturing the next generation of audiences and artists.

Luna’s classes for children and adults, and its developmental programs for early career artists, inspire community members to nurture their own creativity and vision.

Luna Stage has contributed to the development of over 80 new works for the stage, earning a reputation for artistic excellence. Some of those plays have gone on to productions in New York City and beyond. Luna’s unique approach to producing, as well as the work itself, fosters an environment of inclusivity, understanding, and infinite possibility.

Alliance Repertory Theatre Company presents “Church & State” by Jason Odell Williams opening March 8th

Summit, NJ – In the wake of a school shooting in his hometown of Raleigh three days before his bid for reelection, a Republican senator (Brett LaRosa) makes an off-the-cuff comment that gets leaked.  The comment calls into question the senator’s stance on guns and God, and sends his devoutly Christian wife (Leslie Williams) and liberal Jewish campaign manager (Candy Fox) scrambling to contain the damage. “Church & State” tackles the issues of religion in politics, gun control and being true to oneself in a simultaneously funny, heartbreaking, and uplifting way. Directed by Gordon Wiener, the cast is rounded out by Kyle Walton playing multiple roles.

“Anyone who sees “Church & State” is sure to be entertained, potentially moved and, hopefully, prodded into seriously considering how the ‘other side’ sees things,” says Wiener.

What critics have to say about the play:

“Crackling, resonant, humorous. I wish every member of Congress would see it!” - NPR

“PLENTY OF HUMOR - Jason Odell Williams presents his argument so entertainingly, few would object to going along for the ride.” - Time Out NY

“The moral struggle that follows fuels a sophisticated dialectic that presents both sides of the gun debate…. It’s surprisingly subtle and gripping entertainment. Simply superb!”  – Los Angeles Times  

“Church & State” runs March 8th thru the 23rd. Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Thursday, March 21st at 8pm, and Sunday, March 10th at 3pm. For reservations, email us at alliancerepco@gmail.com or visit www.alliancerep.org.  Up next, “Circle Mirror Transformation” by Annie Baker May 2019.

MONDO is located at 426 Springfield Avenue in Summit.  To learn more about Alliance Repertory Theatre Company and the 2018-2019 twentieth anniversary season, visit our website.